bin

¹ American  

[bin] / bɪn /

noun

1. a box or enclosed place for storing grain, coal, or the like.

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verb (used with object)

binned, binning

1. to store in a bin.

bin- ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “two,” “two at a time,” used in the formation of compound words.

   binary; binocular.

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bin ¹ British  

/ bɪn /

noun

1. a large container or enclosed space for storing something in bulk, such as coal, grain, or wool

2. Also called: bread bin.  a small container for bread

3. Also called: dustbin.   rubbish bin.  a container for litter, rubbish, etc

4. 1. a storage place for bottled wine

   2. one particular bottling of wine

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verb

1. (tr) to store in a bin

2. (tr) to put in a wastepaper bin

bin- ² British  

prefix

1. a variant, esp before a vowel, of bi- 1

   binocular

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Usage

What does bin- mean? Bin- is a combining form used like a prefix, and it means “two” or “two at a time.” While it appears in a variety of scientific terms, it’s also easily recognizable in everyday terms.Bin- comes from the Latin bīnī, meaning “two each” or “by twos.”Bin- is related to the combining form bi- and is used with some words or word elements beginning with vowels. These two forms have similar origins, and for that reason, the difference between the two is a small yet important nuance: bin- tends to mean “double,” while bi- often means “twice.” Want to know more? Read our Words That Use bi- article.

Other Word Forms

• unbinned adjective

Etymology

Origin of bin¹

before 950; Middle English binne, Old English binn ( e ) crib, perhaps < Celtic; compare Welsh benn cart

Origin of bin-²

Combining form of Latin bīnī two each, by twos

Example Sentences

Now permanent, the scheme has expanded to include all workers, including bin collection teams working across the district and neighbouring Cambridge.

From BBC

The teenager spent around a year in prison before being freed thanks to a royal pardon from Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

From BBC

So the decision to bin the remake of Sands of Time - which sold millions of copies in 2003 - has left many fans scratching their heads.

From BBC

But those bins can fill up fast — and the advantage goes to early boarders.

From MarketWatch

At the Home Office, he said he found "a total bin fire" but "worked like crazy to try and fix that".

From BBC